The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1887-12-31

prison hospital who have never done
one hours work since they were sen
fenced, and who probably never viii,
and who instead of being punished by
the sentence, are better off than before
conviction. Then the prisoners who
become permanently disabled ought to
go into the State hospital.
Sd. Then the law ought to be so
amended as to require the Board of
Control to employ the requisite num-
Der of sergeants, say one for each hun
dred and fifty conviets, who shall be
paid by the State so as to make them
entirely independent of the lessees or
contractors and who shall be sworn to
faithfully observe all the requirements
of the law in the treatment and man.
agement of the conviets, and whose re-
lations to the contractor or lsssee shall
be prescribed by the Board of Control,
having in view the rights of the lessee
or contractor to good, efficient and
faithful work, as well as the proper
treatment of the prisoners.
4th. Then no contract or lease ought
to be for longer period than two
years, for the obvious reason that each
legislature ought to be free to make
such changes and inaugurate such re-
forms in the system us might be made
apparent and needful by the enlight-
ened progress of the age.
5th. Then there ought to be chap
lain employed and paid by the State
who shall give all his time to the SER
vice of the convicts, looking after their
moral and spiritual needs. If these
changes were made think the present
system would work most admirably.
The law-making power ought never
to lose sight of the objects Of a State
prison, viz:
l, To prevent crime by Furnishing
the convict, thus deterring Others from
its commission.
2. To reform the criminal-any
system which makes the life of the
convict an easy or pleasant ono makes
the penitentiary an asylum and not a
prison, and offers premium for crime
instead Of preventing III and any sys-
tenn which does not afford all possible
means for reformation is alike at fault
These are the great objects of a
State prison, and amy desire that the
State should make money out of the
labor of its convicts at the expense o.
either of these great objects is degra
ding to the civilization of the age
but if these two objects, the preven
ton of crime and the reformation o.
the criminal, can be compassed and
that without expense to the State, that
in my judgment would be the best
possible system that could be devised
and such believe would be the pres
ent system with the changes and mod
iiications suggested, or at least it would
approximate il nearer than any system
which has been suggested.
The foregoing are my persona
views, and not official; that is, not au
thorized by the board of directors o.
the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad
Company, lessee. |, however, state
authoritatively that the Gulf and ShiI
Island Railroad Company is ready and
quite willing to surrender the peniten.
tiary and convicts back to the State
and that the lease and bond be eau.
celed. And ! do now through youI
board consent with the legislature to
the cancellation of the contract Of
lease and bond, that the Legislature
may be free and untrammeled to enact
such reformatory measures respecting
the same as its wisdom may devise.
| have the honor to be,
w. Ii. HARDY, President.